Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V5 Chapter 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 85.5, 86, 87, 88, 89, 89.5 & 90
Chapter 81: “Seimei & Doman?” ②
Senju approached Abe-no-Seimei and Ashiya Doman with careful, nervous steps—after all, these two were legends among spirit-users. Forcing his voice steady, he spoke up.
“…Hey, you two.”
“What’s up? Something wrong?”
“You’re… right, you’re Senju Nanamori, aren’t you? The Nanamori family’s mystic-eye user. That power of yours—huh, it’s even beyond the founder’s level.”
“I’ve heard the name a few times. Never thought I’d see you here in Underground Kyoto with Shinonome.”
“—”
Senju tried hard to hide his surprise—and the quiet thrill of being recognized by Abe-no-Seimei and Doman—and pushed the conversation forward.
“…So what’re you two doing here, exactly?”
“Well, I came to stop that kid from tearing Underground Kyoto apart. If the price of killing an oni gets too high, that’d be cruel, right?”
“I’m the same. Besides, Seimei and I both know that brat.”
“…No way.”
“Natsuki probably doesn’t remember us well. Call me whatever—Ashiya, Doman—doesn’t matter.”
“And you can call me whatever too~”
Doman answered with a friendly, easygoing tone, while Abe-no-Seimei stayed cool and detached as ever.
“Well, chatting’s nice and all, but something’s coming.”
“Huh?”
“Look—my barrier just broke. Doman, deal with it.”
“You deal with it yourself.”
The moment those two spoke, the raging sea dragon inside the barrier burst through, lunging straight for Senju and the others.
Ashiya Doman stepped forward and traced nine syllables into the air.
“—Rin, Pyō, Tō, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!”
With a sharp paaan! the sea dragon slammed into an invisible wall and shattered apart.
“What power… ow, damn it, my nail just peeled clean off.”
Blood dripped from his finger, yet Doman’s eyes glittered with amusement as he fixed his gaze on Natsuki.
“—Ashiya… Doman? The nine syllables? You mean that Ashiya Doman?!”
“You’re late to the party! Shinonome Abe, you’re literally the only one who hadn’t figured it out!”
“W-What?! Haruaki-senpai, how are you even connected to Ashiya Doman—”
“Huh? Wait, wait, so even now you still think I’m just your old host-club senpai? I mean yeah, technically I was your senpai there, buuut… shouldn’t you have caught on by now?”
Shinonome finally grasped Doman’s identity—but somehow his brain refused to make the obvious connection to Abe-no-Seimei standing right beside him.
To anyone else, the two looked practically like brothers, but apparently the person involved just couldn’t see it.
“…Your descendant’s kind of an idiot, huh?”
“He’s got charm, doesn’t he?”
“Ha! Don’t make me laugh! Hey, Shinonome! If I’m Ashiya Doman, then obviously the guy next to me is Abe-no-Seimei!”
“—Wh-wh-wh-whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!”
As Shinonome let out a scream loud enough to shake the world, Senju shoved him aside and turned to question Ashiya Doman and Abe-no-Seimei directly.
“Leaving aside Shinonome being slow on the uptake—are you two on our side or not?”
“Nah, not exactly.”
“…What?”
“Don’t get it twisted, Senju Nanamori. Our position’s the same as Shuten Doji or Tamamo-no-Mae.”
“We’ll lend just enough strength to keep Underground Kyoto and surface Kyoto from collapsing, but beyond that we don’t interfere. That said… if Nacchan loses, I’ll handle it. I’ll kill that broken, weakened oni for you, so don’t worry.”
“…Truth is, Ibaraki Doji’s been a thorn in our side for ages. She’s sly. Whenever we try to corner her, she slips up to surface Kyoto. She knows exactly what we hate most.”
“Doesn’t really bother me, though.”
“You bastard! Quit saying unnecessary crap! Anyway, here’s the deal: a fight in Underground Kyoto is actually an opportunity for us. Like Seimei said—if Natsuki screws up, we’ll clean up after him. But—”
Still watching Natsuki clash with Ibaraki Doji, Ashiya Doman and Abe-no-Seimei smirked.
“I don’t think we’ll have to clean up after someone stronger than us.”
“Yeah. Kids these days… they’re terrifying.”
〜〜Afterword〜〜
Ibaraki Doji: “I like clueless Shinonon too!”
Nacchan: “Grossssssssssssssssssss!”
Chapter 82: “Isn’t This the Sea Hero’s Power?” ②
“Haa… haa… damn, you just don’t die easy.”
“As if I’d let myself die!”
Ibaraki Doji was already in tatters.
She had been slashed, torn apart, ripped to shreds, and trampled by the water dragon—no, by the sea itself.
Unlike the Holy Sword, the sea carried no “destruction,” so she could still regenerate.
But every time she healed, the cycle simply began again.
Her power had dropped sharply with each regeneration—she was already just a shadow of her former self.
Meanwhile, Natsuki, manipulating the sea with only one arm, showed no visible fatigue.
—Though in truth, his absurd reserves of magic were nearly drained, and inside, he was close to collapse.
“Let’s end this, Ibaraki Doji. I’m bored now.”
“…What?”
“You’re strong, sure, but all you ever do is babble about Shinonon this, Shinonon that. You’re just a dull woman. Fighting you doesn’t thrill me, doesn’t excite me. It just hurts—and I’m sick of it.”
“…You dare… call me a dull woman?”
“I’ve got limits too. This power won’t last another five minutes. But before that, you’re already dead.”
“Arrogant brat…”
“No oni could ever hope to defeat the sea.”
The roaring, storm-like waves suddenly fell silent.
Swirl—with a small splash, the water quietly gathered into Natsuki’s right hand.
“Don’t… don’t be ridiculous! That’s impossible! Turning the sea itself… into a sword?!”
“I can—and I will. I’m the Hero of the Sea.”
“Lies! That’s beyond anything a human should be allowed to do! No human could ever—what are you?!”
All the oceans Natsuki had summoned gathered into his hand.
How much seawater had been compressed into that blade was unknown—but its impossible weight was real, solid in his grip.
“What am I? If you don’t know, I’ll spell it out. I’m the Hero of the Holy Sword summoned to another world, the Hero of the Sea, the patron saint of kappas, and the warrior of love who protects the peace of the universe! —Galaxy Kappa Hero DX!”
“Curse you! I’ll never forget that name! Galaxy Kappa Hero DX! Even if I’m reborn a thousand times, I’ll never forget you!”
Natsuki raised the blade of compressed ocean and swung it down toward the immobilized Ibaraki Doji.
“Mother Sea… weep no more. —Silent Sea Blade.”
The strike cut straight through her, slicing both her blood-red sword and her body clean on the diagonal.
“…All I ever wanted… was to be loved.”
“…Then you should’ve just loved Shinonon more.”
“…I only wanted one person… who would love only me, and see only me.”
With those final words, Ibaraki Doji’s upper body toppled onto the wet ground.
〜〜Afterword〜〜
It might’ve looked quick and simple, but what just played out was a clash between two absurdly overpowered forces.
Meanwhile, outside the barrier enclosing Natsuki and the others—
Abe-no-Seimei: “Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!! The barrier’s gonna shatterrrrrrrrrr!!”
Ashiya Doman: “Are you kidding meeeeeeeeee?! What the hell is this powerrrrrrrrrr?! Harukooooooo!! What kind of parenting raises a monster this strong?!”
Abe-no-Seimei: “…Wait, you’ve actually been in touch with Haruko-san?”
Ashiya Doman: “Don’t go deadpan on me now! Just focus on holding the line, you idiotttttttttttt!!”
Yep. Doman’s the definition of a guy stuck doing all the heavy lifting. No doubt about it.
Chapter 83: “Guess This Is the End of the Fight?” ①
“—Goodbye, Ibaraki Doji. Out of all the battles I’ve fought since returning from the other world, this was the absolute worst.”
The sword slipped from Natsuki’s arm.
Before it could hit the ground, it dissolved into a torrent of water that spread in every direction.
Underground Kyoto was once again swallowed by the sea, but no more waves followed—it finally stilled.
At Natsuki’s feet lay the bisected corpse of Ibaraki Doji, blood pouring freely from the wound.
The water turned crimson, and even in death her eyes remained wide open.
“Till the very end, you only ever thought about yourself. If you’d just lived like a normal oni instead of attacking me and Madoka-chan… maybe you could’ve ended up famous as one of those couple-streamer types by now.”
“No way! That future would never exist!”
“Ah, Koume-chan.”
Koume stood right beside him.
“You did well, y’know. And for once, you didn’t even destroy anything major. That’s impressive for you.”
“Much appreciated.”
“Still… that was my first time seeing the Sea Hero’s power. Damn, that’s brutal. Summoning the whole ocean outta nowhere? Scared the hell outta me. Why didn’t you use it sooner?”
“…Because when I do, Holy Sword-san gets in a bad mood and refuses to lend me her strength.”
“…That little brat’s such a pain to deal with.”
That Holy Sword-san had been helping Natsuki wield the Sea Hero’s power in the first place—making up for his still-immature body and magic.
Because of that, she had gone into a temporary resting state.
He could only hope she’d be back to her lively self soon.
“…Sorry, I’m getting kinda dizzy.”
“Pull yourself together!”
Koume caught the staggering Natsuki.
Even with Holy Sword’s support, he had pushed himself far past his limits, and the signs of collapse were plain to see.
“…I-It’s fine. Thanks to Holy Sword-san, the power didn’t run wild. All I lost was magic and stamina. Still… I don’t wanna fight again for a while.”
If he relaxed even a little, he felt like he’d pass out on the spot.
Leaning against Koume’s shoulder, Natsuki saw Senju, Yusuke, and Shinonome approach.
“—Natsuki-kun, thank you.”
“No problem.”
“Madoka’s curse is gone too. Really, thank you so much!”
Shinonome gave a quick glance at Ibaraki Doji’s corpse, then bowed deeply while still holding Madoka in his arms.
“She was way too strong—it wasn’t even funny anymore.”
“Yeah, that shocked me too. Just drinking my blood made her that strong?”
“Forget that part!”
Senju shrugged at Natsuki’s words, while Yusuke suddenly shouted, pulling everyone’s attention his way.
“Senju-san went and built himself an oni-girl harem! And he stole my oni-girl right out from under me! Where am I supposed to file a complaint?!”
“I didn’t steal anyone.”
“She wasn’t your girl to begin with.”
“Don’t be so greedy.”
“I don’t care about any of thaaaat!”
Senju, Koume, Shinonome, and Natsuki all burst out laughing—back to their usual banter at last.
“Well, leaving aside whether Senju-san really has a harem or not… what about you guys? What are you planning to do now?”
After they laughed, Natsuki glanced at Hoshiguma Doji, Tora Doji, and Kuma Doji—each of them frozen in place and staring back.
〜〜Afterword〜〜
Yusuke (Black): “If you agree to be my bride, I’ll treat you real nice, you know?” creepy grin
Koume: “Oi! We’ve got a total villain in our party! A straight-up scumbag among us!”
Chapter 84: “Guess This Is the End of the Fight?” ②
The oni hesitated at Natsuki’s question.
At last, Hoshiguma Doji answered for them.
“…We’re not planning any revenge just because you took down our sister—Ibaraki Doji.”
“Good. That’s a relief.”
“Honestly, I didn’t think you’d actually manage to kill her. You don’t look it, but damn… you’re scary.”
“I’m not scaryyy! Galaxy Kappa Hero’s not scaryyy!”
“…You’re not even a kappa. Our sister kept calling you Galaxy Kappa Hero till the very end, though.”
“Hmph. Galaxy Kappa Hero is my soul-name. My human name is Natsuki Yura! A fresh and lively fourteen-year-old, third-year middle schooler!”
“…Kids these days are terrifying.”
Hoshiguma Doji clearly had no intention of fighting.
That suited Natsuki fine—he was done with battle anyway. It felt good to know things wouldn’t escalate any further.
“…By the way.”
“Huh?”
“Uh, Tora Doji-san? You’re clinging to Senju-san’s arm with your cheeks all red… is that okay?”
“Okay? What do you mean okay?! He stole my first kiss, so he’s taking responsibility and marrying me! If he refuses, I’ll gather every oni in Kyoto and we’ll kick off round two! Unlike Sis, we’re actually liked by our followers—so they really will show up!”
“…That’s kinda just sad for Ibaraki Doji.”
Even with all that overwhelming power, Ibaraki Doji had loved no one in her family and wasn’t even liked by her followers.
Thinking back, she really had been a lonely one.
Those last words—“I just wanted to be loved”—maybe she really had meant them from the heart.
“I’m not saying you can’t date or whatever, but Senju-san, you’re a psychic. So if your girlfriend starts eating people, that’s a hard pass, okay?”
“H-Hey, I don’t eat humans or anything! Sure, you smashed me up just now, but back home I was growing veggies in the garden!”
Torakuma Doji muttered complaints at Natsuki while sneaking glances at Senju.
Shinonome, for his part, seemed fine letting it slide. He didn’t lump Ibaraki Doji’s sisters in with her at all—he just smiled.
“What the hell am I supposed to do here…”
Senju scratched his cheek in frustration, while Yusuke glared at him with pure, seething jealousy.
“…Natsuki-kun. I’m falling to the dark side starting now.”
“Don’t! I don’t have the strength left to deal with you!”
Cleanup work would be needed, sure, but somehow they’d figure it out.
“Well then! I’m the greedy but reliable Hero who returned from another world! Even though I’m about to collapse after going way past my limits fighting Ibaraki Doji, I’ll still make sure to crush the Abe clan, mammon-mammon!”
“…You sure you’re not being mentally hijacked by some demon of livestreaming thanks to using the sea’s power?”
“Just your imagination, just your imagination. —By the way, what do we do with Ibaraki Doji’s corpse?”
Natsuki’s strength hadn’t been enough to erase Ibaraki Doji completely.
Sure, she’d attacked him when he was a kid, but he wasn’t cruel enough to leave her corpse lying there.
“…Let me take care of my daughter’s body.”
A voice came from behind.
When Natsuki turned, Shuten Doji stood there in work clothes.
He wasn’t alone.
Kirara Abe, Onsa Abe, Goro Kumazaki… and two young men in soaked suits, looking completely worn out.
One wore a spotless white suit, the other a gray one.
“Uh…”
“Yeah, when Madoka Abe got dragged off by Ibaraki Doji, these Abe folks happened to be there. They came along, but the fight with you got too insane, so I left them with Tamamo-no-Mae for safekeeping. And these two here—”
The white-haired youth with narrow eyes flashed a bright smile.
“Hellooo~ I’m Abe-no-Seimei. Pleasure to meet you.”
The one in the gray suit, his black-rimmed glasses still dripping wet, raised a hand with a scowl.
“Yo. Ashiya Doman. I just busted my ass making sure you didn’t blow up Underground Kyoto. So you’d better be grateful! …And you’re paying me back for the cigarettes that got ruined!”
“Eh—w-wait, hold on…! Are you telling me two absolute BIG names just showed uppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp?!”
“Seimei and Doman aren’t that big a deal. They’re just my errand boys.”
“Koume-chan’s even more amazinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng!”
〜〜Afterword〜〜
Galaxy Kappa Hero Z has finally crossed paths with Seimei & Doman!
Replies to year-end and New Year comments will be on pause for now, so thanks for understanding.
This is the last post of the year!
Thank you so much for all your support throughout the year.
I hope you’ll keep cheering on Galaxy Kappa Hero Z, Natsuki Yura-kun, and his merry companions in the year ahead.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year! 🎉
Chapter 85: “Aren’t These Big Names’ Pasts Kinda Nuts?”
Abe-no-Seimei and Ashiya Doman.
There wasn’t a single spirit-user who didn’t know their names.
—No.
There wasn’t a single Japanese person who didn’t know their names.
“I’ve met a lot of big names before, but today’s the happiest day ever! Seimei-san! Doman-san! Nice to meet you, I’m Natsuki Yura! Galaxy Kappa Hero from another world! My special skill is slaughter!”
“…That’s a terrible skill to brag about. And besides, the biggest name here is me, Lady Lucifer!”
Koume puffed herself up proudly.
But to a third-year middle schooler deep in adolescence, Seimei, Dōman, and Lucifer all looked equally legendary.
“Well, Koume-chan is Koume-chan, y’know? And Lucifer, isn’t that basically a surname? Like in Japan—Sato or Suzuki, right?”
“…Of all examples, you pick the most common surname Sato and the runner-up Suzuki?! Don’t you dare drag Lucifer’s rarity value down like that!”
Koume snapped back at him, but Natsuki’s sparkling eyes were already locked on Abe-no-Seimei and Ashiya Doman.
“Shuten Doji’s a big name too, y’know. Ibaraki Doji’s a big deal as well, right? Hoshiguma Doji, Torakuma Doji, Kuma Doji, Kin Doji are more minor, though.”
“Shut up, you old jerk! It’s your fault for leaving Ibaraki Doji alone—she ran wild because of you!”
“I swear I’ll ambush you on your way back from the liquor shop and make you cry!”
“Kuma kuma! Kuma—!”
Shuten Doji tried to posture like a big name, but with Abe-no-Seimei and Ashiya Doman on the scene, even a legend like him looked a little small by comparison.
“Glad you’re so curious about us, but first—let’s do something about Ibaraki Doji’s body, yeah?”
“Right. If we could just blast it away, that’d be best, but even we can’t do that.”
Abe-no-Seimei and Ashiya Doman discussed how to handle Ibaraki Doji’s corpse.
“Hey Shuten Doji, you got any ideas?”
“…No. I just wanted to let my daughter rest quietly. We parted ways, sure, but she’s still my child. At the very least, she should be allowed a peaceful sleep after she’s gone.”
Shuten Doji stared at his daughter’s body, then bowed his head in a quiet prayer.
Natsuki and the others set aside their feelings for the moment and joined him in the silent prayer.
“Yeah, exactly. That’s why we’ve gotta either seal it tight or destroy it completely. To people in the underworld business, Ibaraki Doji’s corpse would be something they’d kill to get their hands on.”
“True… even if they managed to get it, handling it properly would be doubtful. Still, better safe than sorry.”
The big names looked troubled, weighing their options.
“…Uh, then should I just toss it into my item box?”
When Natsuki suggested that, every eye turned toward him.
“Hold on—what?! Natsuki-kun, you’ve got an item box? That’s an otherworldly all-purpose cheat tool right there! Even Seimei-san’s curious now!”
“Heheheh, Brother Seimei. Back in the other world, I happened to snag myself an item box, see?”
“Why are you suddenly talking like some sketchy thug?!”
“Huh. So when you said Galaxy Kappa Hero, I figured it was just a dumb nickname, but you really are a returnee from another world, huh? Hey, Doman, doesn’t this bring back memories?”
“…Tch. I never wanna set foot in another world again. Especially not with a damn troublemaker like him!”
“—Eh?”
This time, it was Natsuki and the others staring straight at Abe-no-Seimei and Ashiya Doman.
“What are you staring at?”
“Uh… could it be you two were senior Heroes before Yusuke-kun and me—”
“Oh, nah. I got summoned to another world as a Demon Lord, y’see.”
“And I got dragged along by accident! Damn it all!”
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!”
Natsuki and the others screamed at the shocking backstory of the two legendary big names.
〜〜Afterword〜〜
Abe-no-Seimei: “Ahh, brings back memories. They told me to rule as Demon Lord and crush humanity, y’know?”
Ashiya Doman: “Bet the demons never imagined the Demon Lord they begged for would actually destroy the whole world!”
Abe-no-Seimei: “Yeah, then God gave me a big ol’ scolding, like ‘No-no!’ I kinda wanna go again though.”
Ashiya Doman: “Over my dead body!”
Happy New Year!
Thanks for your support again this year!
I’ll be aiming for one update a day, so please look forward to it!
The Kyoto arc is finally wrapping up.
After a little cooldown, we’ll be heading into the “Otherworld Arc?”—so stay tuned!
Chapter 85.5: Interlude — “Zekkun’s Watching, Isn’t He?”
“—What a failure! I really thought Ibaraki Doji, after slurping down the pure bloodline of Natsuki Yura, aka Nacchan, would be the perfect candidate… but nope! Truly disappointing!”
Floating high above Kyoto was Zekkun, the so-called God of Despair.
Dressed in a sharp tuxedo, his gaze was fixed on Ibaraki Doji, now fallen to Natsuki Yura.
“Honestly, I gave her divinity thinking she was a rare talent, and what happens? Instead of using it for herself, she tries to have a divine child with some guy. Even Zekkun was shocked! And then she tries to eat that power and use it anyway… hah, well, guess that’s what it means to be an oni!”
Ibaraki Doji’s strength had rivaled the gods.
Her fame as an oni was already great, but after drinking the pure bloodline, then gorging on top-quality humans, her power had become immense.
Zekkun had simply given her one final push.
Disguised among the oni, he had approached Ibaraki Doji and tampered with her fate.
The result was an oni even stronger than Shuten Doji—but one that couldn’t be controlled.
“Who would’ve thought that I, the God of Despair, would end up being the one driven to despair instead? Clearly, my only option now is to reincarnate into another world and become the God of Fortune!”
What Zekkun hadn’t accounted for was that Ibaraki Doji had gone completely mad with love.
And that love was so twisted and selfish that even Ai-chan, the Goddess of Love herself, hadn’t given her the slightest interest.
Zekkun decided to cut his losses—failure was part of any investment, after all.
But when he heard she was going up against Natsuki, he came all the way to Kyoto to see just how “finished” Ibaraki Doji had turned out… and to witness the otherworld Hero’s power with his own eyes.
“—Hmm, hmm! So the Holy Sword, Divine Thunder, brought back from the other world isn’t really a god’s true name at all! It’s just a temporary label slapped on to borrow a fraction of divine power! And the real problem… is the power of the sea!”
He chuckled darkly, then began spinning in midair like a lunatic.
“—Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous! To think the God of Despair could feel hope again! Summoning seas not of this world, but of the universe entirely?! That’s something even gods can’t do! Can’t! Can’t! Can’t! This is so shocking I can’t stop laughing! Ze-ze-ze-ze-ze-ze-ze-ze-ze!”
“…What an overly hyper god. Are all you so-called ‘new gods’ like this?”
A woman’s voice rang out from behind him.
Zekkun turned, tilting his head curiously.
“Lady Tamamo-no-Mae… why are you wearing such a tiny shrine maiden outfit?”
Behind him stood Tamamo-no-Mae, her body now voluptuously transformed thanks to drinking Natsuki’s blood.
“Your question is that!? Don’t you have anything better to ask?!”
“…From my point of view, fox ears plus a miko outfit… little girls are best!”
“Who cares!?”
Tamamo-no-Mae shouted, and fox-fire flared up around Zekkun.
Each flame carried enough yokai power to erase a lesser god from existence.
They couldn’t kill Zekkun outright, but they could definitely give him a serious beating.
“Oh ho. Tamamo-no-Mae actually wants to fight the God of Despair!?”
“No, it’s not that. A cute boy fought Ibaraki Doji head-on and took her down. I don’t want anyone to make that moment ugly. Isn’t that only natural?”
“…Hmm. Yes, making things ugly is bad!”
“I don’t care about your plans, new gods. Gods, demons, yokai—they all change with their times and with the people living then. Trying to force new myths like you lot… boring.”
“Right on, Tamamo-no-Mae. I’d much prefer a god like Tsukuyomi who gets jealous, changes eye color, and hunts you down!”
“…That’s only because you egged on Tsukuyomi, saying, ‘Wanna join the new myths as the invisible god?’”
“…That was meant as the highest compliment. Huh, old gods are so touchy.”
“Your taste is the problem here!”
Zekkun let out a puff of breath and snuffed out the surrounding fox-fire.
“What now? Leaving already?”
“My goal was to witness Nacchan’s power, after all!”
“You’re awfully familiar with him. So? Did he live up to your standards?”
“Oh, absolutely. But! He hasn’t shown his full strength yet! I want to see it! To watch, to shout how magnificent it is, and then to fall into despair!”
“Uh… right.”
When Zekkun suddenly burst out shouting, Tamamo-no-Mae flinched.
“…This god’s seriously unstable.”
“I’ve no wish to pick fights with you, Lady Tamamo-no-Mae, or with Lord Shuten Doji, so I’ll be taking my leave for today.”
“Hold it.”
“…Something else?”
“Tell the Goddess of Love to pay back the money she owes me.”
“And why is that?”
“Well, she dropped by Kyoto the other day just for fun. Ended up drinking too much at an izakaya, so I lent her taxi fare.”
“Ai-chan’s social circle is way too wide!”
〜〜Afterword〜〜
—Zekkun is watching.
By the way, Zekkun’s the type who can both cause despair and fall into despair. Two-for-one deal!
Chapter 86: “Face Madoka-chan, Okay?” ①
“Hahaha, don’t be so surprised. Right?”
“Underground Kyoto’s basically another world. Seimei and I used our experience of being summoned to another world and teamed up with Tamamo-no-Mae and Shuten Doji to build this place.”
“Ahh, brings back memories. Still… I knew there were other rascals who went wild in the other world, but I didn’t expect this many…”
Abe-no-Seimei studied Natsuki and Yusuke with keen interest.
“He’s different from me, that one.”
“W-What do we do…? Big-name legend and all, but he’s a suspiciously pretty guy. Makes me wanna slice him while I can!”
With his narrow eyes and white hair, Abe-no-Seimei gave off that classic “mysterious big-name ex-summonee” vibe that put Natsuki on edge.
“Go on then. Do it quick, do it quick!”
“No way, I’m too old for that. Doman and I aren’t gonna do anything bad, right, Koume-senpai?”
“Koume-senpai?! Wait, Koume-chan’s a senpai?!”
“She’s totally a senpai! When we rolled into Kyoto with that old fart, she refused to leave!”
Koume swelled with pride, and Abe-no-Seimei’s face softened with a touch of sorrow.
“That was hell back then. Japan wasn’t nearly as rich as it is now. Yet Koume-senpai kept asking me to fetch this and buy that…”
“We attacked her so many times, but she always beat us back.”
Even Ashiya Doman looked a little forlorn.
“We got stronger just to shut Koume-senpai up.”
“Compared to Koume-senpai’s crazy orders, those chimeras, demons from other worlds, and Heroes were nothing!”
“Koume-chan, how much did you get away with back then?!”
“W-Well back then, angels were supposed to be worshipped, you see. I just—”
“Just!?”
Back in the day, Koume had been totally wild and out of control.
Natsuki, already reeling from the big names’ pasts, grew even more surprised at Abe-no-Seimei’s next remark.
“…When I first saw her, I didn’t even think it was Koume-senpai. Did she stop doing those ringlet curls?”
“Koume-chan had ringlet curls?!”
“Cut it out! Don’t expose a maiden’s secrets! And don’t pry any further!”
Natsuki pictured Koume with vertical ringlets and a fancy dress, acting like an evil noblewoman straight out of an isekai.
It was embarrassingly easy to imagine—and somehow, it actually suited her.
“…Putting Koume-chan’s ringlets aside, what do we do about Ibaraki Doji? Toss her in the item box?”
“Ah—Nacchan. I actually want to give her a proper burial.”
“Hmm. Then—put her in a grave, and bury the whole thing?”
“I don’t think that’s how it works, old man!”
The talk returned to Ibaraki Doji.
Natsuki had no intention of treating her body carelessly, but without a clear method, he figured they’d just have to accept it.
For Shuten Doji, though, that wasn’t an easy answer.
“Fine then. We’ll put up a barrier ourselves.”
“…Guess I’m in on this too? Whatever. Oh hey, Senju Nanamori, if your cigarettes survived, hand me one.”
Ashiya Doman took a smoke from Senju, slid it into his e-cig, and inhaled.
As he let out a thin puff, he muttered, “payment for the cig,” and suddenly grabbed Senju’s face.
“Iron Claw outta nowhere?!”
Natsuki shouted in surprise.
“Wrong! Hold still, this’ll sting a bit.”
“Ghh—ahh!”
“Good. I fixed your spiritual flow so you can control that mystic eye of yours. You won’t master it overnight, but you’ll be able to use it properly in time.”
“…Ashiya Doman-sama, I’m truly grateful.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Just like that, Senju’s long struggle with controlling his mystic eye was lifted, and he bowed deeply.
Once he got the hang of it, he’d become even stronger than before.
“Hey, not fair if only Doman gets all the goodwill points. Take this!”
Abe-no-Seimei traced a pattern in the air with his finger, aiming it at Natsuki.
“—!”
Something inside Natsuki was forcibly stirred awake.
It hurt, but at the end of that pain he could feel power—like the dull ache of growing pains.
“You’ve been pushing way too hard for a body that hasn’t even fully grown yet. It was all warped, so I straightened it out for you.”
“—Thank you so much! Ohh, so this is what people mean by that ‘totonou’ thing you feel after a sauna session!”
“T-That’s… not quite it, but hey, if that works for you, then fine. You really are a funny kid.”
The exhaustion, pain, and strain Natsuki had been carrying after going all-out against Ibaraki Doji now felt a little lighter.
With some rest—maybe two days—he’d probably be fine.
“Thank you for everything, Abe-no-Seimei-sama, Ashiya Doman-sama.”
“What’s with the formality? Just Seimei’s fine.”
“Same here, just call me Doman. Besides… well, we can leave it at that for now. More importantly, look—our Sleeping Beauty, or rather, Madoka-chan, is waking up. Go talk to him.”
At Doman’s urging, Natsuki turned.
Madoka, watched over by Onsa and Kirara, was slowly beginning to open his eyes.
“—Madoka-chan!”
〜〜Afterword〜〜
Seimei and Doman are basically do-whatever-they-want types.
And yet, even those two can’t beat Koume-senpai.
Chapter 87: “Face Madoka-chan, Okay?” ②
For Madoka Abe, losing a close friend had hit him in a way words couldn’t reach.
He had watched that friend get eaten by an oni right before his eyes.
He tried to help, but his hands and feet were useless—he’d cried at his own helplessness.
He swore he’d get stronger, both to avenge his friend and so he could become someone the friend would be proud of.
He trained even when he hated it. To beat oni, he stomped on weak yokai and sometimes even on humans.
That made him feel sick—like he was doing the same horrible things the oni who stole his loved one had done.
Still, strangely, the feeling kept slipping away from him. No matter how often he regretted it, no matter how often he repeated the mistakes, he forgot soon after.
He told himself it was for revenge, and before long it became normal.
If it was for revenge, then it had to be done.
He used revenge as an excuse to commit acts he never would have done for someone he truly loved.
Family and friends worried about him, but sometimes even their concern felt like a nuisance.
Each time that happened, something deep inside him screamed—something that didn’t quite feel like him.
~KILL THEM.~
That voice inside demanded it.
Kill his family. Kill his friends.
Even though there was never a single reason to do so.
Madoka struggled to suppress the incomprehensible urges that welled up from time to time, all while chasing strength.
By his mid-teens, he hadn’t caught up to his extraordinary older brother, but he had grown fairly strong in his own right.
—And yet, strangely enough, by then he found himself living only to kill Shuten Doji.
The one who had attacked his friend wasn’t Shuten Doji.
So why? Why did it have to be him? He couldn’t explain it.
His heart had always felt parched.
The only time it felt quenched was when he trampled yokai beneath his feet.
But the dryness returned almost immediately.
It was like someone else lived inside his body—someone who wasn’t him.
—But now, that thirst was gone.
His heart felt calm in a way that was almost strange.
The maddening urge to kill, the crushing need to destroy—gone without a trace.
“—Madoka-chan!”
A dearly familiar voice, calling him by that dearly familiar name.
—How had he not realized it sooner?
He had wanted to see him so badly.
Wanted to see him for so long.
That brief summer encounter that kept returning in his dreams.
His precious friend was alive.
The one he loved was alive.
And now, they had met again.
—For Madoka, that alone was enough to make tears spill over from pure happiness.
〜〜Afterword〜〜
The curse Madoka himself hadn’t even realized—cleanly broken.
At last, it’s time for him to face things properly!
Chapter 88: “Kinda Let My Guard Down, Didn’t I?”
“…Ahh, it really is you, Nacchan. I’ve wanted to see you.”
Madoka Abe, resting on his sister Kirara’s lap, reached out a hand toward Natsuki.
Without hesitation, Natsuki clasped it firmly.
“Yeah.”
“…Sorry I didn’t realize back in Tono.”
“Same here. We both grew up, and a lot’s changed.”
“I said awful things… and did awful things too. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. Madoka-chan, you were under Ibaraki Doji’s curse.”
“…A curse?”
Madoka tilted his head in confusion, and Natsuki explained.
“When Ibaraki Doji attacked us, she cursed you to hate Shuten Doji—to hate oni in general. But it’s fine now. Ibaraki Doji’s gone, so the curse is broken.”
“…Madoka being so unstable, that was the curse’s fault too.”
Adding to Natsuki’s words, Shinonome—the eldest Abe sibling and Madoka’s older brother—spoke gently.
“…Aniki.”
“You won’t have to suffer from Ibaraki Doji anymore. Shuten Doji’s neutral now—setting aside old stuff. There’s no need for us to keep fighting.”
“…Wait, could it be… that thing about you trying to make a couple-channel with Ibaraki Doji was—”
“That’s right. It was to get close to her and make her let her guard down.”
“You actually did that, Aniki?!”
“Uhh, kinda creepy, not gonna lie.”
Shinonome, caught out for planning a couples channel with Ibaraki Doji, got icy glares from Onsa and Kirara and hurried to change the subject.
“Ahem. Anyway, I couldn’t have done it alone. Thanks to you, Natsuki-kun, everything’s settled. Really, thank you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I had my own history with Ibaraki Doji too. And Madoka-chan’s safe, so that’s what matters. Yup. Now—if we just level the Abe household to the ground, I can head back to Mukaijima feeling real good!”
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
“Um?”
Onsa, Kirara, and Madoka made small, confused noises.
“Yeah?”
Natsuki tilted his head. Shinonome flushed a little and offered a quick, embarrassed explanation.
“Ah—our family home had ties with Ibaraki Doji and her lot. Kidnapping people, siccing oni on the Institute… it’s a rotten house, always has been.”
“Destroying Madoka-chan’s family home makes my heart ache a little, but we’ve gotta settle this. The Great Cosmic Kappa God says any evildoers must be taken out—for the sake of the universe.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”
Onsa snapped back sharply at Natsuki.
“Come to think of it… back in Tono you were calling yourself Kappa Hero too. You don’t even look like a kappa—what’s the deal?”
“That’s a long and kinda deep story, so I’ll tell you later. For now, let’s move somewhere we can actually relax and talk. This place is all soggy and gross.”
“You’re the reason it’s soggy, though!”
Onsa fired back again.
“Hahahahaha!”
For some reason, Shinonome suddenly burst out laughing.
“Ahh, that’s rich. With this, my long nightmare’s finally over. Man, I feel so refreshed!”
“Plus, you’re free from that clingy yandere woman.”
“For real! I was constantly on edge, never knowing when she’d just eat me alive!”
Shinonome’s laughter spread to Natsuki.
Then Onsa and Kirara laughed too.
And finally, Madoka joined in, laughing with them.
“Right, Madoka-chan. There’s so much I want to talk about, but first—I’ll introduce you to my precious friends! I’m sure you’ll get along with them, righ—”
“Nacchan!?”
Natsuki’s words cut off.
So did the laughter.
“Ah… no… Nacchan, you’re bleeding—”
After defeating Ibaraki Doji and confirming Madoka’s safety, the tight string holding Natsuki together finally snapped.
He had already pushed far past his limits.
Blood streamed from his eyes and nose, and his vision went completely dark.
〜〜Afterword〜〜
Koume: “Oi, aren’t you joining in the circle too?”
Kumazaki: “I’m not family. Just watching from a little distance feels about right.”
Senju: “And the real reason?”
Kumazaki: “Every time I get close to the Kappa Hero, my crotch hurts.”
Yusuke: “Well, guess that can’t be helped then.”
Chapter 89: “Isn’t This Just Cleanup?” ①
Thump, thump—the sound of drums echoed.
It was a riverbank.
On the shallow stream where the clear water spread wide, kappas had gathered around a bonfire. They beat drums and danced.
The lively feast went on.
It felt like they were celebrating something… or perhaps worshipping something. A strange, ritual-like atmosphere hung in the air.
―And then, in the very next instant, the kappas stopped dancing. Every single one turned to look this way.
“—Are you a kappa?”
■
“—Kappa God-sama!?”
“No, why the heck would it be!?”
Natsuki shot upright, only for Koume to smack him hard on the head.
“Ow! Huh… what’s this? Some kinda fancy room?”
The living-dining space was more than twice the size of the Yura family’s tea room. Expensive-looking paintings and decorative plants filled the place.
“You collapsed, bleeding all over, so I was worried sick—and then you wake up yelling about some Kappa God!?”
“Koume-chan, the Kappa God just contacted me in a dream.”
“There ain’t no such god, you idiot!”
Taking Koume’s retort head-on, Natsuki realized he was lying on a sofa bed in someone’s living room.
(…Guess I hit my limit after using a bit of the Sea Hero’s power. Thanks to Holy Sword-san’s support, I only collapsed instead of worse—but yeah, I pushed it. It’s only been, what, two weeks since I came back from the other world? My body’s still not used to handling the power. Oh well, nothing I can do.)
If his body had just two more years to grow, or if his magic had settled in better, he probably could’ve taken down Ibaraki Doji with far less effort.
It was enough to make him painfully aware of how inexperienced he still was.
“Nacchan!”
“Ah, Madoka-chan.”
While Natsuki was reflecting, Madoka Abe appeared.
Behind him came Shinonome Abe, Abe Kirara, and Onsa Abe.
Senju Nanamori followed, looking troubled, with Torakuma Doji clinging to his left arm and Onsa latching onto his right.
Yusuke Sado stumbled in next, still weeping blood.
Goro Kumazaki shook his head furiously, insisting he wasn’t “with” Kuma Doji—but the big oni stared at him like they were already comrades.
And finally, Shuten Doji arrived as well.
The spacious living room suddenly felt far too crowded.
“Nacchan, you’re safe after all. Seimei-sama said you hit your limit and collapsed, but when I saw you bleeding, I couldn’t stop worrying.”
“Sorry about that. Guess I pushed myself too far. By the way, where are Seimei-san and Doman-san?”
“Seimei-sama… he said he had to open his shop, so he went home. As for Doman-sama, I didn’t know either, but apparently he’s a city hall employee. He used that as an excuse to slip away and rushed back.”
“Wait—Doman-san works at city hall!?”
“Hard to believe, right?”
The idea that Ashiya Doman actually worked at a government office was shocking to Natsuki.
It seemed the others were just as surprised—they laughed, saying, “Yeah, that threw us off too.”
Still, Natsuki couldn’t help but feel disappointed. He had wanted the chance to properly thank them again.
“How long was I out? And—where is this place?”
“This is my place. Well, I’m renting Shinonome-nii’s apartment.”
“…Wait, Shinonon owns an apartment!?”
“Hahaha. Nah, I just picked up a haunted property dirt cheap, that’s all.”
He said it like it was nothing, but for Nacchan, Shinonome’s whole image shifted a little.
“Actually, I decided to move into this building too. They gave me a huge discount on rent—I’m finally graduating from a one-room! I’m even gonna make a whole room just for booze!”
“Shuten Doji-ossan really hadn’t changed at all.”
“Well, yeah. He did lose a daughter and a son, so he’d been down in the dumps for a while.”
“—Ossan.”
Shuten Doji bowed his head and apologized deeply to everyone.
“I want to thank you again, Nacchan. I never wanted to kill kids with my own hands. I’m sorry all that trouble ended up falling on you because of me.”
“It’s okay with me. We brought the matter to a proper close. …But still, I do feel a little sorry toward you, Ossan.”
Even if killing Ibaraki Doji and Kin Doji had been the only choice, to Shuten Doji they were still his children.
That thought left Natsuki with a faint sense of guilt.
“We don’t need an apology from you, Shuten Doji-han.”
“…Same here. I’ll never forgive Ibaraki Doji, but that’s a separate matter.”
It seemed both Shinonome and Madoka were able to separate their feelings—they held nothing against Shuten Doji himself.
That alone gave Natsuki some relief.
“Thanks. As a sort of exchange, I’ll have Hoshiguma Doji, Torakuma Doji, and Kuma Doji hand over proof of their dealings with the Abe clan.”
“Much obliged. In return, it’s fine if we say we’re no longer enemies with Hoshiguma Doji-han, Torakuma Doji-han, and Kuma Doji-han, right?”
“That would mean a lot. Truth is, they only followed Ibaraki Doji because they couldn’t oppose her. They’re like me—they’ll adapt to human society before long.”
So, a deal was struck regarding Hoshiguma Doji and the others.
Natsuki had no intention of interfering with that decision.
He only thought it’d be amusing to see how things turned out between Onsa Abe and Torakuma Doji, who were already throwing sparks at each other over Senju.
As for Yusuke, glaring on with jealousy—Natsuki decided to just ignore him.
〜〜Afterword〜〜
Shuten Doji-san didn’t really do much, but Hoshiguma Doji, Torakuma Doji, and Kuma Doji basically got treated like a judicial plea bargain.
Of course, there are still hardliners who bear grudges against oni, so that part’s tricky.
But hey—just dump the whole mess on Shinonon and it’s all good!
Chapter 89.5: Interlude – “Mukaijima Monster Agents, Right?” ⑧ (End)
With beer foam still clinging to her mouth, Ginko was in a very good mood.
“Really, never thought I’d end up getting summoned to another world—but hey, glad we made it back safe, right? I mean, c’mon, when you’ve got Mammon-san from the Seven Deadly Sins and the rowdy Susanoo-no-Mikoto from Japanese mythology both tagging along, there’s no way some Demon Lord was ever gonna win. Still—never expected another world to be that flimsy.”
She cracked open her sixth can of beer and poured it into her glass.
After downing half in a single gulp, she kept going.
“Even Pretty Ginko-chan’s senses got kinda wrecked these past two weeks. But seriously—if Natsuki-kun could go wild inside that pseudo-space Amaterasu-Omikami built for combat and not break it, then don’t you dare fall apart just ‘cause mammon-mammon and susa-susa cut loose! …Burp!”
She finished her rant along with the beer, then let out a burp.
It was, well… not exactly refined.
“…Mammon. I may be a greedy demon, but I’m also the kind who can’t turn away when someone asks for help. If a person begs me to slay a Demon Lord, then slaying him is what a proper gentleman-demon does. I figured I’d treat it as practice for killing Satan—but wow, I never thought he’d be such a pushover, mammon-mammon.”
“Can you please stop talking like that already? The second that otherworld princess started going ‘mammon-mammon’ too, I thought to myself, yep, this world’s doomed, susa-susa!”
The real tragedy for that other world was that the ones summoned to defeat the Demon Lord weren’t just one or two heroes—it was an entire group of eccentric Mukaijima City residents who arrived in a spaceship.
If it had been Satan from this world, things might’ve played out differently.
But that world’s Demon Lord—honestly, Ginko and Seishiro could’ve taken him down themselves if they’d staked their lives.
Sure, that would’ve been reckless, but he was still within the range of what humans could handle. Against a demon of the Seven Deadly Sins and a dragon-slaying god, the poor guy never stood a chance.
And to make matters worse, Susanoo-no-Mikoto had to shout, “Let’s see who can rack up the higher kill count!”
Naturally, Mammon just had to answer back with a loud “mammon-mammon!”—and, well… things spiraled out of control fast.
Ginko and Seishiro mainly dealt with humans.
Anyone who tried siding with demons, anyone scheming to use Susanoo-no-Mikoto and the others, or anyone aiming to seize power after the Demon Lord’s fall—they just wiped them all out.
For some reason, people assumed Ginko and Seishiro were “the weak ones,” so they got targeted… but, yeah, that didn’t end well for the attackers.
At one point, young Yoshimasa was even kidnapped, but only a few hours later he came strolling back, saying, “Phew, that was a hassle,” perfectly safe. That part was honestly shocking.
Meanwhile, Jack remained in the skies, blasting out evacuation warnings and focusing on humanitarian aid.
And so, after a few hectic days…
The Demon Lord fought, took the full brunt of Mammon and Susanoo-no-Mikoto going all out, and then vanished without accomplishing a thing.
—Up to that point, it was fine.
But the combined attacks of a demon and a god shook the entire world, leaving massive cracks spreading across it.
Just when it looked like the whole world might collapse—
“What the hell are you idiots doingggggggggggggggggg?!”
God himself came flying in, panicked, and patched it all back together.
Thanks to that, Ginko and the others returned safely to Mukaijima.
One world had been saved, and now they were free to kick back and enjoy a well-earned drinking party.
“Hah! I don’t care about this susa-susa nonsense—my mammon-mammon has gone super viral online! As expected of the great Samatan-sama! Sasu-sama! Mammon-mammon! As the one who came up with it, I couldn’t be prouder, mammon-mammon!”
“Ha! Mammon-mammon my ass! Just watch—I’ll start livestreaming too and blow up even bigger!”
“Mammon-mammon! Then it’s a contest!”
“Fine by me! I’ll show the whole internet that I’m Nacchan’s best buddy!”
Drunk Mammon and Susanoo-no-Mikoto were about to launch into a completely idiotic popularity contest—but of course, nobody bothered to stop them.
―Later, Susanoo-no-Mikoto’s wife caught him filming dramatic monologues with Heaven’s scenery as his backdrop. As punishment, his usual evening beer was downgraded to plain barley tea.
■
“By the way, Yoshimasa. During those few hours you were kidnapped—what happened? Were you really okay?”
“Hmph. Uncle Seishiro… in this world, there are things better left unknown.”
“…Really now?”
“Someday, I’ll tell you everything. Until then… please wait.”
“…That orange juice you’re drinking—it’s not actually a Screwdriver, right? You didn’t sneak alcohol in, did you?”
Hearing his nephew’s words, Seishiro couldn’t help but feel just a little uneasy.
〜〜Afterword〜〜
God: “You fools… I will never forgive thissss!”
And with that, the Interlude ☆ “Mukaijima Monster Agent Arc” comes to a close.
Next, we’ll touch a little on what happened after Nacchan returned home.
Also—just to be clear, this big rampage took place in a world completely different from the one Nacchan and Yusuke were originally summoned to!
Chapter 90: “Isn’t This Just Cleanup?” ②
Natsuki decided it was best to leave Hoshiguma Doji and the others in Shinonome’s hands.
Sure, some people might complain, but that would be their problem.
Honestly, they even gave off a vibe like they might tag along to Mukaijima City… but if that happened, Senju would probably keep them in line somehow.
Next, Shinonome continued.
“As for Onsa and Kirara—Natsuki-kun, and Kazuto-kun who isn’t here right now—we want to offer our sincere apologies. We incited the hardliners, and even though we didn’t manage to put you in real danger, the fact remains we tried to harm you. We’re truly, deeply sorry.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Amaterasu-san already punished them, after all.”
“But if they try anything again, it’s nose-hook time!”
Koume raised two fingers in warning, and Kirara let out a frustrated “Grrr…” in response.
(Oh yeah—what happened to that guy who picked a fight with me? Tsukuyomi-sensei took her away, but… could this be turning into one of those ‘Kuh… just kill me already!’ situations?)
“They may have been used by the Abe clan, but as psychics they’ll still be punished so it doesn’t happen again. That said, there are also people out there who still want revenge on the oni and yokai… so we’ll have to talk that part out.”
“Once that scary Ibaraki Doji’s gone, the other oni will just do whatever they want. There aren’t any of the old oni left besides us anymore. The young ones will fool around however they like, and if that gets them killed by humans, well, they’ve got no right to complain.”
Shuten Doji explained that, aside from Hoshiguma Doji and the others, most of the old oni had either been killed or eaten by Ibaraki Doji.
They’d lost the faction wars.
The oni who remained weren’t the ancient types that had survived since the Heian era—they were newcomers. That was why Shuten Doji felt no real kinship with them. Ibaraki Doji had ruled those kinds purely by strength and fear.
By contrast, Hoshiguma Doji and her group had actually forged ties with other oni. Some resisted, of course, but many still respected them. Now they would be the ones reaching out, urging others not to clash with humans anymore.
If anyone still refused to listen, they’d simply become targets for extermination.
In a way, the oni were sometimes more decisive and clear-cut about these matters than the humans were.
“By the way, what time is it now? How long was I out?”
“It’s almost five o’clock.”
“Well then, Nacchan—are you hungry? Old man Shuten’ll buy you dinner. There’s a place with great yudofu, and they serve tasty nihonshu too.”
“That sounds perfect! Nihonshu, huh! I hadn’t had any in a while. I like it hot, but cold’s great too!”
Shuten Doji and Koume were already gearing up to celebrate as if the fight were completely over.
But Natsuki wasn’t satisfied.
“No way! I haven’t flattened the Abe house yet! You gotta follow through on what you say. Come on—let’s wipe out the Abe house! Yay!”
“…You’re serious…? You collapsed and you still wanna do that? Leave it be—Shinonome and the others will take care of it on their own…”
“Nope, Natsuki-kun. Leave the Abe house stuff to me. I’ll make sure we settle things properly, I promise.”
“Yay!”
“…Saying ‘yay’ doesn’t help.”
“I came to Kyoto to make up with Madoka-chan and to smash Shuten Doji and the Abe family! Ossan’s not how I expected either—this isn’t sitting right with me! So the Abe house has to be crushed! It has to be flattened!”
“Eee—”
Koume, Yusuke, and Senju weren’t too surprised—their crew had already stormed the Kanna house before—but Shinonome and Shuten Doji, the Kyoto veterans, were taken aback by Natsuki’s reasoning.
“All right then—let’s go smash the Abe house!”
Natsuki said it and pulled a happi coat out of his item box. Big letters on the back read “Zamaa (ざまぁ).” He slipped it on.
“You coming?”
Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at Natsuki in his happi.
“…Koume-sama’s been quietly thinking this whole time—this kid’s a little dangerous, right!? Hey, Madoka! Was Natsuki always like this?! I thought the second time wouldn’t shock me much, but wow, this is a lot!”
“Hmm… back when he let loose, he stayed hyped for ages. Maybe he was kinda like this. Kinda brings back memories.”
“Bringing back memories is fine and all, but—your precious childhood friend is totally losing it, you know!?”
Madoka looked a little troubled but also nostalgic—his past memories had cleared once Ibaraki Doji’s curse was broken. Then Natsuki suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Oh! I remember now. At a festival in Kyoto, there was this cheerful old guy wearing a happi—he was like, ‘Why does beer poured into a cheap plastic cup from a food stall taste so good?! Fuuuuuuuu!’ That’s when I learned about happi coats.”
“That’s definitely Shuten Doji! Don’t just casually blend into the local crowd and enjoy the festival like that!”
“No way, no way—before you even say it, there’s nobody more local than me!”
At Shuten Doji’s words—coming from someone who had lived since the Heian era—everyone, even Koume, had to admit, “Well… yeah, fair enough.”
“Well then, fine! Before the yudofu, it’s Abe house smashing time! Yaaah!”
〜〜Afterword〜〜
Kirara: “—Ba-dump. My prince in a happi coat!”
Onsa: “Hey, hey, we’ve got another bugged-out one over here!”
Koume: “Stick a nose-hook on her!”
Onsa: “Got it!”
Kirara: “Fngah!?”
※ Tomorrow will be another double update—look forward to it!
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